Holy Week, Busy Week
Every year I take vacation during Holy Week. There are a couple of reasons for this, both spiritual and practical. On the spiritual level, I find that I need time to prepare myself.
Sophie at Compline. We all pray in our own ways.
There may have been some work in the garden the past couple of days. I may also have resumed my habit from earlier in Lent of praying Compline with Sophie the cat.
In addition, this morning both Francine and I went to Confession and Mass at Saint Joseph church. The Mass was long – three readings including the Passion according to Saint Luke – but it was nourishing. Even got to test run my new Missal, and it passed with flying colours. I may do a review after I’ve used it a bit more.
On the more practical side, it is the week of liturgical rehearsal. This past weekend was Palm Sunday, so that’s a Saturday morning rehearsal, followed by the Vigil Mass and then the Sunday Noon Mass. It was certainly worth it, however. The church was crowded both Masses – Sunday, in particular, was very full – and the Servers were great.
I wish somebody got photos. I myself only snapped one, featuring both Fathers Wichert and Sherbourne, as well some members of the choir (including Francine!). The gentleman in choir dress to the right is Gary Rose, who is in formation for the Diaconate. I wish I’d gotten a photo of the crowds outside.
Today, however, is when the ramping up begins. Setup for RCIA, followed by Holy Thursday practice, followed by Vespers, followed by a truncated RCIA session, followed at last by Tenebræ. That’s a full afternoon and evening!
Tomorrow will only be the evening liturgy, but Good Friday and Holy Saturday are full to the top!
This year I am not MC for Good Friday or the Easter Vigil, as Fr. Wichert is celebrating them at his other parish of Visitation. So that at least is a little less on my plate.
Hey, wasn’t Holy Rosary originally in Ballard? Good to see it thriving! I still haven’t found a parish that feels like “home” here.
I’m working on the parish history (in my copious spare time!) Holy Rosary was founded in Tacoma in 1891 by German-speaking Catholics.
It’s a fairly common name, though, and I know of two other parishes with that name in the Archdiocese of Seattle, one in Seattle and one in Edmonds.
Gotcha. I was confusing it with North American Martyrs.
And it gets more confusing – although Holy Rosary is my parish, I do attend daily Mass at least once a week at Saint Joseph, Tacoma, which is an FSSP parish like North American Martyrs.